Works and thoughts of Albanian poet and writer Naim Frasheri (1846-1900) is the topic of a meeting scheduled for Monday at Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran.
Starting at 9 a.m. at the university, the meeting is the first round of Iran-Balkan Cultural Discourse, organized by Culture Ministry’s Islamic Culture and Relations Organization in collaboration with the varsity, ISNA reported.
Former president of Albania, Rajab Maydani, the head of ICRO, Abouzar Ebrahimi-Torkaman, members from the Science Academy of Albania and other scholars are expected to attend the event.
Topics associated with cultural dialogues between Iran and the Balkans, as well as thoughts of Frasheri, will be discussed at the meeting.
Frasheri represents the cultural blend of the two regions where Iran and Albania are situated. He was among the most prominent patriots of Albanian national movement for independence from Ottoman Empire. He learned Ottoman Turkish, Persian, Arabic, ancient and modern Greek, French and Italian. His Persian poems are among the highlights of the meeting.
“He was at home equally in both western and Oriental cultures,” according to Canadian-born German scholar Robert Elsie, 67, who is a specialist in Albanian literature and folklore.
Through his writings, Frasheri exerted a strong influence on later Albanian literature and society. In 1871, he wrote ‘Grammar of Persian Language According to the New Method’. Among his 1886 writings is ‘The True Desire of Albanians.’
He also wrote a title about Homer’s Iliad in 1896. Two years later, he wrote a history book on Albanian military commander, George Castriot (1405-1468), known as Skanderbeg, who served the Ottoman Empire, the Republic of Venice and lastly the Kingdom of Naples until his death. After leaving Ottoman service, he led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire in what is today Albania and Macedonia. One year before his death, Frasheri completed the History of Albania.
At the meeting, Frasheri’s Persian poems will undergo a comparative analysis. His life and works will be reviewed in a video. An exhibition of his books is slated on the sidelines of the meeting and related books will be introduced.
